Olly Sholotan On Making Carlton Banks Everyone's Least Favorite Cousin On 'Bel-Air'

essence.com:

reimagining of The Fresh Prince story, Bel-Air. But he’s taken the role a step further than the polo collar-popping, Tom Jones music-loving trust fund kid we used to know and love.

Sholotan’s Carlton is elitist, vengeful, disconnected from his Blackness, and struggling with addiction. Sholotan’s performance has caused quite a stir on social media since the show’s February 13 premiere, with many users lamenting how much disdain they’ve formed for a once-beloved character – a true testament to the effectiveness of his nuanced near-villainous performance.

Though he realizes he’s stepped into some pretty large shoes by reimagining one of the most beloved TV characters of the 1990’s, Sholotan say he actually finds comfort in having such a monumental performance serve as the base for his own.“I always say that we’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” he told ESSENCE ahead of the show’s Super Bowl Sunday premiere. “I think that really reframed the way I thought about it.

I don’t have to think of it as if I’m donning this coat that might be too big for me and I have to see if I fit in it. But rather, I’m building upon an incredible legacy that’s been set.” Bel-Air finds Carlton putting on smug airs to mask his feelings of jealousy and heartbreak while managing a diagnosed mental health condition.